


this unruly mess i've made

by kadtherine



Series: a series of fortunate au's [1]
Category: Booster Gold (Comics), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, RipFic, Season 3 AU, Team Legends - Freeform, Time Canary slowburn, daddy!booster, like really, they really messed up with time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-01-15 15:45:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12324030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kadtherine/pseuds/kadtherine
Summary: Rip wasn't sure how he ended in Metropolis when he took his leave from the Waverider - a bit less discreetly that he had hoped to do.





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> hello, it's been a while since i've posted a fic in this fandom. unfortunately, my computer decided to call quits on me so i can't access any of my works for now. this is a season 3 au (obviously, because i refuse to let rip go - he deserves better).
> 
> hope you'll enjoy it !

Rip wasn't sure how he ended in Metropolis when he took his leave from the Waverider - a bit less discreetly that he had hoped to do.

He should have assumed that his escape wouldn't go unnoticed , especially since he was living with a former assassin. Not that he had a particular destination in mind in leaving. Rip had briefly thought about visiting the Refuge, even staying there for a while and lending his mother a helping hand before a time storm propulsed the ship out of the temporal zone. He had managed to land without too much damage, cursing the lack of a proper emergency protocol and gritting his teeth when he crashed against the ground, an alarm immediately coming off upon impact. Leaning his head back onto the headrest, Rip went to ask for Gideon to check the damage before he bit down the request, remembering that he was on his own. With a groan,he pushed back his latch and flicked off a few switches above his head, letting out a sigh of relief when the blaring came to an end.

Rip slowly got up, leaning against the pilot's chair as he took a look of his surroundings before leaning back. Again, he breathed out in relief at the lack of immediate damage, his joy short-lived when he took notice off the message broadcast onto the command panel : engine three substained a great deal off damage, there appeared to be an oil leak underneath the dropship and the gps-locating system was offline.

"Oh now, that's just bloody brilliant," Rip muttered, swiping off the notifications.

 

* * *

 

 

After making that the cloaking system worked, he pushed himself off the board, grabbed his satchel bag off the ground and made his way toward the latch, allowing a small smile when it lowered without difficulty at his command. Shielding his eyes from the sun, Rip made his way down the ramp, throwing a last look to the jumpship before it disappeared from his sight. At least, he had managed to land in a somewhat desert area, away from prying eyes. Shoving a hand in his pocket, Rip lazily made his way into town, his brow furrowed as he took in his surroundings. While the streets seemed vaguely familiar, his mind couldn't quite pinpoint where - and when - he had ended up.

Eventually, he walked into a busy street, keeping his head down and carefully dodging hurried pedestrians. Rip would look up every two seconds, hoping that he'd been able to identify where he had ended up before he'd groan in frustration and looked back up. Rip found himself raising a fist in triumph when he caught sight of a newspaper parlor. He grabbed the first journal he could get his hands on and froze as he recognized the logo sitting at the top of the front page. Shaking himself out of his transe, Rip looked up from the newspaper and sure enough, the majestic _Daily Planet_  was standing in all its glory in front of him, a couple of miles away.

"Hey pal," Rip started at the sound of the irritated - and irritating - voice of the vendor and turned to him, "you gonna buy that?"

"Ah. Yes. My apologies," he rummaged through his pockets before getting a wrinkled bill out of his pocket, "keep the change."

The vendor ripped the money out of his hands with a grunt, muttering under his breath. Rip let out a sigh, shook his head and walked away from the stand, his gaze quickly skimming through the front page, his gaze lingering on the bylines - Lois Lane - and the date of publication - October 13th 2023. He stopped in his tracks and let his hands fall to his side, the newspaper crumbled in his hand.

 _2023_. Rip hadn't even been born yet.

" _Bloody brilliant_ ," he gritted through clenched teeth.

 

* * *

 

 

**LOS ANGELES,**

**2017.**

Jax wondered if they could truly go through an entire day without crashing the Waverider. It almost as if they were jinxed - Jax wouldn't pass it by them, honesty. He had seen a lot of crazy shit in the last year he had been time traveling - zombies, his former mentor going rogue, a human Gideon, fuckin' Camelot. He wouldn't be surprised if they had been cursed by a witch somehow. His head throbbing at the sound of blaring alarms, Jax slowly sat up and pushed back the constraining belt. From the corner of his eye, he could see Nate making his ears pop by opening his mouth wide while Ray leaned against hs seat, slightly dizzy. Amaya - bless her soul - slowly got up to her feet and walked to the control panel, turning off the alarms.

Jax suddenly felt his heart quicken and his head immediately turned to Stein, the latter still strapped in, his eyes closed as he tried to maintain his breathing to a normal pattern. Trying to ignore the panic his - literal - other half was feeling, Jax made his way to him and crouched in front of him, putting on a comforting hand on his leg. Startled eyes opened and stared back into his own.

"You alright, Grey?"

"Quite, Mr Jackson," Stein muttered, unconsciously matching Jax's breathing pattern.

Giving him a small nod, Jax unbuckled him before he straightened back up, his bad leg straining at the movement. He held out a hand in front at him and waited for Stein to grasp it before he slowly hauled him to his feet. Once he was sure that the older man was steady on his feet, Jax slapped his back and turned to the helm of the ship, where Sara was still getting her bearings.

"Ready to find out what the hell is goin' on?"

"I think I've got a pretty good idea," Ray intervened, eyes widened opened as he stared at the window.

Before Jax could ask him what the hell he was taking about, a loud, thundering roar shook the Waverider, forcing each crew member to either cover their ears or take hold. Letting his hands fall to the side, Jax was barely aware of Mick grumbling about _freakin'_ times spaceships and useless A.I as he followed Ray's line of sight. _Dinosaurs._ T-Rexs, to be more specific, were surrounding the ship - ship by the way that seemed to be incrusted into the ground as if it had always been there. _Freakin'_ Tyrannosaurs were snapping their gigantic jaws at it and waving their ridiculous short arms around.

"I don't think you'll be able to charmed all of those away," Nate whispered to Amaya.

 _Whatever the fuck that meant,_ Jax thought as he stared at the couple, bewildered. Catching his gaze, Ray frowned and shook his head at him, silently telling him to drop it. Jax rolled his eyes in response: _Gladly. Ain't got the time to look into Nate's weird kinks._

"Guys," Sara spoke up, putting an end to it their silent conversation, "I think we broke time."

 _Oh hell no._ They were definitely cursed.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**METROPOLIS,**

**2023.**

_Carter's and Son_ came into view as the cab stopped a few miles away from it. Swinging his satchel over his shoulder, Rip handed the cabbie two bills of ten and stepped out of the car. Rip breathed out a sigh of relief at the lack f crowds, the small garage having been established miles away from the town square. While it seemed impractical in theory - and practice - Rip liked it better that way. His hands shoved in his pocket, he made his way to the small establishment, acknowledging the closed sign with a smirk before he pushed the door. To his lack of surprise, the door was unlocked and the shop was dark. Looking up at the chiming bells, Rip stepped into the garage and closed the door behind him, his bag sliding from his shoulder and onto the floor. Rip took the time to take a look around as he walked into the shop, his gaze lingering on some figures kept aligned on a shelf. Rip opened the shades, narrowing his eyes at the sudden burst of alight. Sketchbooks and tools were laying around, contrasting with the pieces of machinery neatly put classed and put away. He walked into the workshop - hidden behind a curtain of beads - the unrolled blueprints on the desk immediately catching his eye. Rip sat at the desk and reached into the mini-fridge he knew to be there. He didn't bother turning around when he heard the heavy set of footsteps coming toward him, faintly covering the sound of a robotic whir.

"I'm pretty sure the sign up front says ' _closed'_."

"Surely you can make a small exception," he retorted, getting up from his chair, a beer in each hands.

He stiffened a smile when met with a wide eyed expression. Rip's gaze briefly darted down to his gloved hands, positioned in way that would have worried Rip if he wasn't certain the other man wouldn't fire. As if to confirm his thoughts, he lowered his hands and took a careful step forward. He looked young, Rip thought, younger than the last time he had seen him. Less tired, perhaps. His blonde hair was swept to the side and he, beside his gloves, was wearing blue overalls - something you'd expect a regular mechanic to wear - covered in oil stains. Above the other man's head, Rip could see a familiar flying orb, its singular eye blinking at him. He blinked along the strange contraception, trying to regain his composure as he got closer to Rip. Surprise and confusion left place to slight excitement and something Rip had yet to identify - it looked a lot like hope - as he grinned at him.

"Junior," Michael Carter breathed out, his voice a mix of uncertainty and relief.

"Hi dad," Rip returned his smile, "Beer?”


	2. i don't think we're in the right timeline anymore, toto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks you so so much for the feed back, it warms my heart to see that you're engaged in this story. btw, this chapter is freaking long - it developped a mind of its own. hope you'll enjoy

**METROPOLIS**  
**2023**

Rip sat down on a counter, rolling the bottle of beer between his hands as he watched his father tinker with his visor. His sudden appearance had been with a loud exuberant laugh, a tight embrace that had left Rip's breathless even when freed of the hug and a genuine smile that was rarely seen in Booster Gold. Michael dragged Rip to a more secluded workshop where laid various futuristic tools and his Booster Gold attire. Rip watched with a content silence as his father re-worked the circuits of his visor, frowning in concentration at it.

"So," Rip stopped in his movements at Michael's voice, "I thought you'd be travelling space and time on behalf that of the Time Monsters."

While the small jab made Rip snort, it didn't stop his grip from tightening around his beer bottle. Clearing his throat, he shot his father half a smile.

"Time Masters," he corrected, taking a sip of his drink.

"Tomato, tomahto," Michael said, balancing a wrench in each hand as if pondering over the question. Twirling the tool between his fingers, he raised an eyebrow at him, "Anyway, you didn't answer the question, kid."

"Didn't I?" Rip hummed, hiding a grimace behind his beer. He sighed when Michael stopped his tinkering, crossing his arms and leaning back against his work station, "I didn't. Well, it turned out they were in league with Savage and had been manipulating us along so... We, sort of, blew them up.

Rip couldn't help but wince again when his father stretched out his neck before retracting it, blinking as he seemed to process what he had been told.

"' Sort of?' And what do you mean, 'we'?"

"Well, we destructed the Oculus which led to the Vanishing Point exploding," Rip said in a nonchalant way, as if he were talking about what he had eaten at lunch, "As for the 'we', I was referring to my t- former team. I had recruited them to go after Savage and save both Miranda and Jonas. It didn't turn out quite as I had planned," he muttered, taking another swing of his beer.

Michael hummed in a noncommittal way, wiping his forehead with his arm before he threw both wrenches in his toolbox and holding his fingers in eyesight.

"And where are they now?" Michael inquired, holding out a hand, "can you pass me that flat screwdriver?"

"Probably in Aruba," he muttered, snorting at his father's puzzlement, "At their requests. Knowing them, they are probably wreaking havoc as we speak," he continued as he handed his father the tool he had been playing with.

"You don't seem to worried about that," he remarked on, spinning the screwdriver between his fingers.

Downing the rest of his drink, Rip let himself slip from the counter and gave a small shrug.

"I've spent half a year traveling with this lot, I've resigned myself to chaos happening ever now and then," he sighed, leaning back, "Beside, they're not my responsibility anymore."

Once again, Michael hummed, keeping silent as he tinkered with how equipment. He kept silence and Rip can't help the sudden burst of gratitude and love that he felt toward his father. Their relation was a complicated one - seeing as both were time travelers and had lived their share of adventures separately. Rip didn't know if the things he knew about Michael were from the lessons he had learned on Booster Gold, at the Academy, or if they were tidbits of memories from a long forgotten childhood. Rip had been sure he was a born-and-raised Londoner until a raid in the Academy's file room, where he had found that his full name had been Michael Richard Carter Jr, born in 27th century to one Michael Jon Carter and an unknown mother. Rip remembered meeting his father, a wedding invitation clenched in his - sweating - hands as he stood outside his house, listening to his and Ted Kord's laughter filled conversation. He remembered Michael's weariness, anger, hope and finally elatation as he swept him a hug that could only be qualify as fatherly before dragging him into the house and bragging about a son he hadn't known was alive until seconds ego. From that moment, Rip had tried to visit Michael at the same time period, which had proved difficult because of the latter's profession and inability to stay in one place and time for too long.

  
Watching as his father leaned against the table, frowning down at his visor, Rip couldn't help but smile. He had learned of Booster Gold ahead of meeting him and had known of his public persona - the egocentric and over-the-top that had became a hero because of good looks and stolen material. While he knew that both figures were one and he same, Rip couldn't reconcile Booster with the person that had tucked him in bed for the first four years of his life.

With a satisfied sigh, Michael put down his visor and wiped his greasy hands with a rag before tuning to Rip with a smile.

"Well, I'm happy to see you," he cradled Rip's face in his hands, rubbing his cheeks with his thumbs, "no matter the circumstances."

Rip smiled back at his father, groaning when the latter patted his cheeks with a smirk before moving away. With no more beer bottle to occupy his hands with, Rip shoved them in his pockets and cleared his throat.

"What about you? How have things been?"

"Boring," Michael retorted with a grimace as he shrugged off his blue overalls and grabbed a black jean from a drawer, "It's been strangely quiet around Metropolis. Quiet enough for the League to not be needed."

"That is strange," Rip frowned, his head tilted to the side, "and the others?"

"All gone their own ways," Michael shrugged, taking a swing of his beer, "Teddy's back in Star City, the Bat is in Gotham and farm boy is visiting his mother in Smallville. Not sure where Hal and Dinah disappeared to, though," he muttered with a frown, oblivious to his son's perplexed expression.

"Dinah? Drake?" Rip asked, hoping that the dread he suddenly felt was about something else.

"Lance," he corrected, as if it were obvious, "y'know, Black Canary? Has longue blonde hair, wears fishnets, makes your ears bleed with her super sonic cry? That Dinah. Actually, I remember you having crush on her."

"No, that's you. You're just projecting," Rip's sarcastic retort to his father's teasing was automatic, almost robotic.

His head was buzzing, because he was pretty sure that Dinah Laurel Lance had been killed by Darkh in 2016. He knew she had been killed - he could feel his cheek stink at the mere remembrance of Sara's furious punch. Yet, here she was, in the future as if her death had been a dream or a fake memory placed in their minds as some kind of twisted motivation. He didn't acknowledge Michael's confused and concerned frown, restraining a sigh of relief when Skeets reappeared over their heads and taking the focus away from him.

"We've got visitors, boss."

Rip barely had the time to react before Michael had moved back to where his costume, flexing his fingers as he slipped on his gloves.

"Friend or foe?"

"I'm not sure, actually. They seem quite hostile."

As if on cue, the bells hanging above the front door chimed, followed by two set of footsteps. Rip slipped a hand behind his back, his fingers wrapping themselves around the gun tucked in his waistband. Noticing the small gesture, Michael gave him a nod before he made his way toward the front of the shop, Rip close on his heels.

"We're closed, folks," he announced, hands shoved in his pockets.

Rip turned the corner and froze at the sight of the two familiar figures. Eve Baxter was clad in her usual attire, locks of hair sticking on her bloody forehead. Next to her stood a dishelved Jonah Hex, sticking out like a sore thumb surrounded by cars and futuristic trinkets. Neither seemed much impressed - or scared - by the duo. Eve turned her stare to Rip - who didn't flinch when a shark-like grin pulled at her lips.

"I don't think you'd mind giving shelter to two travelers, lost in time and space."

_Oh bollocks. They had really done it now_

 

* * *

 

**LOS ANGELES,  
2017.**

 

"Well, I concur that this wouldn't have happen if we hadn't gone along with Mr Rory's ridiculous idea."

"How is this my fault? I'm not the one who crashed the ship. Plus Gideon is the one who plotted the course.

"Mick's right," Amaya sighed, falling in the library's couch, "we would have been caught in a time quake no matter the destination."

" Yeah, but what caused it, though?" Nate frowned as he read notebook after notebook, in search of an answer.

Sara closed her eyes for a moment, her fingers raising to her throbbing head. She could already feel a bruise forming. After having catching sight of dinosaurs roaming around the Waverider, they had decided - minus Ray and Jax, who were currently taking a survey around the ship - to retreat to the library to find out how exactly they had find themselves into this mess. She reopened her eyes to see that had Amaya had joined Nate in his research while Stein and Mick were engaged in a loud round of bickering. As if things couldn't get worse, Gideon was unresponsive.

"Isn't it obvious? Ask Blondie," Mick grumbled, nodding toward Sara.

Sara swallowed a groan when three heads turned to her, gazes staring right through her with different levels of confusion.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Whose brilliant plan has it to go back in time and steal from our former selves?" Mick said, unfazed by her glare.

"Last time I checked, you were all willing participants," Sara retorted, shooting out of her chair.

But you're the captain, Lance, a mocking voice inwardly reminded her, all responsibilities and choices made fall back on your shoulders. Her jaw clenched, Sara put both her hands on her hips and breathed through her noise, trying to ground herself.

"Look, right now. We just need to find a way out of this mess without fucking things up even more," Sara said, her gaze moving from Mick to Martin, "we're all stuck here together and we won't make it out of here if we keep arguing or pushing the fault on each other."

While Mick acknowledged the small speech with a grunt and a swing of his beer, Martin had the decency to look chastised, muttering an apology. Letting out a sigh, Sara leaned back against the desk and ran her fingers through her hair as a tense silence fell back onto the room. Hopefully, Ray and Jax had been more successful in their endeavors. As if they had been able to hear her thoughts, both men arrived in the time library, grim expressions plastered on their faces.

"Want to hear the bad news or the even worse news?" Jax announced in mock enthusiasm, clutching a tablet in his hand

Sara restrained the urge to let her head fall into her hands and scream, choosing to push herself off the desk and stood in front of the two, her face blank and her arms crossed.

"The worse, let's get it over with."

"Well, to put it bluntly, we can't get off the ground," Ray said, rubbing the back of his neck, "the Waverider is literally into it and we don't have enough power to take off."

"Can't we try to time jump out of here?" Sara asked, frowning at the two.

"Not if you want to get into another time storm and end up in the Middle Age with saber tooth tigers chasing you," Jax muttered, sighing when met with Sara's blank stare, "We wouldn't be able to make it. All systems are offline for the moment, which means we have to switch off to manual and trust me, you don't want to navigate your way through the temporal zone while blind."

"And we can't assess all the exterior damages substained without going outside. For all we know, none of our engines are working," Ray added, running a hand over his face.

Sara wondered if she looked as physically drained and defeated as their usual optimistic and literal Ray of sunshine. She hoped not. Scratching the back of her head, Sara cocked her head to the side and swallowed the frustrated groan that had risen up her throat.

"Alright, what about the bad news?"

Her frown deepened when Jax and Ray exchanged a look before the younger of the two turned to face her, clearing his throat.

"We found out why Gideon wasn't responding,"

"I don't understand," Amaya said, mirroring her confusion, " How is that a bad news?"

Jax responded with a sigh and left the room, Ray close on his heels as he gestured for the rest of the team to follow them. Rolling her eyes at their dramatics, Sara threw a look over her shoulder before following them out of the library. She didn't need to turn around to know that Martin, Mick, Amaya and Nate were behind her, curiosity urging them to follow.  
Sara froze in her tracks where she saw Jax and Ray disappear into Rip's opened quarters. The Captain's quarters that were supposed to be de facto hers. Quarters that were still filled with maps, books and trinkets that belonged to their former Captain. Sara could count on a hand the times she had went in Rip's quarters, the latter having the bad habit to fall asleep in his couch or armchair - or simply, on his desk - after long nights of research spent in his study. It wasn't as if the access to it was forbidden - Sara was pretty sure it was mandatory for the Captain's quarters to be opened to the rest of the crew. She just didn't feel right walking in it while he wasn't here - it almost like walking into the room of a recently deceased person.

  
Shaking herself out of her morbid thoughts, Sara cleared her throat and walked into the chambers. Only to freeze again at the sight she found in there. Jax and Ray were both standing next to the bed, bracing themselves for their reactions. Reactions to the familiar - real - brunette woman sitting on the bed, naked and shivering - no matter how many blankets Jax seemed to have wrapped her in - her eyes wide opened as she stared back at her.

"Gideon," Sara breathed out, oblivious to the cries of bewilderment and confusion.

 

* * *

 

After a long and frustrating - to Sara's opinion - discussion about how they knew that it was indeed Gideon because they had seen her human form when they had been travelling through Rip's mind, Sara had found some clothes for her to wear and they had relocated to the med bay, to Martin's insistence. Sara stood back, arms crossed and a frown plastered on his face, as Martin examined Gideon. Though she hadn't shown the same shock and amazement than her other crew mates, there was something quite unsettling about seeing Gideon as well as hearing her. The fact that she was actually wearing - and looked unfairly good in - her clothes did nothing to ease her unsettlement.

Ray, standing next to her in a similar position, seemed to be reacting in a quiet and uncharacteristic way. It probably had to do with the fact that he had been the first one, along Jax, to find her. Maybe he was in shock and wasn't fully aware of the situation. Maybe he had just gotten used to seeing weird, impossible things came true and time aberrations were losing some of its exciting novelty. Sara sighed and focused her attention back on Gideon.

  
She observed as Martin palped her neck with careful fingers before they moved behind her ears, massaging his temples. He hummed, muttering under his breath before he clicked his pen and scribbled something on his notepad. Sara winced in unisson with Ray when Martin reached for a long needle, flicking the tip of it with two fingers, nodding in satisfaction before he put it pack down down. He cleared his threat and looked up to Gideon with a patient and kind smile that only fathers seemed to be able to give.

"Do you have an arm you'd prefer for me to withdraw blood from?"

"Well, seeing as I didn't have any until recent events," Gideon sighed, pushing back both sleeves of her - Sara's - white sweater and holding her bare arms in front of he, "I'd say I don't particularly care. Whichever you'd prefer, Professor Stein."

"Is that really necessary?" Ray said, watching with scrunched up features as Martin tied a rubber band around Gideon's arm and sanitized the inside of her elbow.

"Well, of course!" Martin said, scandalized by the mere suggestion, "Captain Lance has asked me to be thorough with Gideon's medical examinations and that is what I'm doing."

Ray turned his accusing stare to Sara, the latter ignoring it as she watched Gideon barely flinched when the needle pricked her skin. She took note of her subtle clench of jaw and shot Gideon a comforting smile.

"Dr Palmer, if you would?" Martin held the blood filled needle to Ray, instructing Gideon to hold a ball of cotton against her elbow.

"W-what?" Ray stuttered, going pale as he hid the needle.

He winced when Sara elbowed him in the ribs, muttering about the blonde's bony elbow as he moved forward and grabbed the needle out of Martin's hands with trembling fingers. Swallowing the bile that had risen up his throat, Ray transferred the blood into a test tube before throwing away the needle with a dramatic shudder. Sara rolled his eyes at her dramatics and walked to Gideon and Martin, the latter applying a bandaid to her elbow before gently squeezing her arm. Gideon shot him a small smile, a whispered thank you leaving her lips as she pulled down her sleeves and wrapped herself in the comforter she had dragged into the medbay.

"You are aware you could have asked me about my vitals, right?" Gideon said, cocking an eyebrow when met with three confused gazes, "To my knowledge, my tension isn't higher or lower than the one of a regular female human being of my age. My eye sight do not seem to be impaired or in need of an aid, such as glasses. my other senses are as well as good they were, if not slightly heightened. In fact, I seem to be in perfect health, if you were to ignore my lower than normal body temperature and sudden hunger."

Ray and Sara stared at Gideon, mouth opened in bewilderment while Martin had a wide grin plastered on his face. A chuckle escaped his lips as he snapped off his surgical gloves and threw them in a bin.

"Astonishing," he said, earning a snort from Ray and an eye roll from Sara, "It is truly amazing."

"It is," Sara agreed, smiling when Gideon sat up straighter at the praise, "Ray, take Gideon to the galley. Make sure she eats something and drinks something big before she kneels over."

Ray responded with a mock salute before helping Gideon off the colt, an arm wrapped around her waist as he walked her out of the med may, his slow steps matching her shaky ones. Sara waited for the doors to close behind them before she walked to Martin, the latter reviewing his notes.

"So what do you think?" Sara sighed, her hands shoved in her pockets, "Is she our Gideon?"

"Well, she matches the physical description Jefferson and yourself gave us and her memories - if we can call them that - match those of our dear Gideon," Martin said, leaning against the cot with his hands crossed in front of him.

"It doesn't make sense, though," she mimicked the Professor's posture, her eyebrows frowned in concentration and slight frustration, "how can se be physically here?"

"In case it has escaped your notice, Miss Lance, there are dinosaurs currently roaming Los Angeles," he elbowed her side, a teasing smile on his face.

"Wait- you think Gideon's a time aberration?" His only response was a tilt of the head to the side. Sara groaned, running her fingers through her hair, "Great. Awesome. Fucking fantastic."

Martin clicked his tongue and frowned in disapproval, earning a small smile from Sara. With a last sigh, she pushed herself off the bed and made her way out of the med bay, walking backward.

"Team meeting in the kitchens in five. We need to figure our next step before T-Rex's decided to claw the doors off."

She turned back around when met with a positive response, rubbing her neck with the heel of her hand. She needed - wanted - a back rub. Actually, she needed more than that but it would have to wait. Sara froze at the door when she arrived at the kitchen. Gideon sat at a single table, still wrapped in her comforter, while eating from a bowl of cereals set in front of her. Ray had set a glass of orange juice and mug of hot chocolate by her food.

  
While Amaya stood behind her, running her fingers through Gideon's hair before she decided to braid, humming mindlessly under her breath, Nate and Mick sat opposite her, watching with frowned eyebrows and arms as Gideon went through her cereals with eagerness and curiosity. Ray was sitting on the kitchen counter, his own bowls of Fruit Loops on his lap, lost in his own world. He caught her eye across the room and gave her a small nod, sliding off the counter. The small gesture seemed to alert the others to her presence as they all turned as one. Bracing herself for the assault of questions, Sara pushed back her sleeve and entered the kitchen, only then noticing, with a frown, the absence from of their engineer.

"Hey, where's Jax?"

"He's trying to see if he can recalibrate the time drive," Ray replied, cleaning off the table for Gideon with a small smile, "do you want me to go and get him?"

Before Sara had the chance to open her mouth to reply, she was brought to her knees by a loud and piercing cry. She was vaguely of the bowls in Ray's crashing to the floor as he brought his hands up to cover his ears. From the corner of her eyes, she could see that Amaya had wrapped herself around Gideon while Nate had stayed upright, immediately steeling up at the sound. The cry, eventually, came to an end, leaving all of them with ringing ears. Her head throbbing, Sara slowly got up to her feet and took a look around the room, watching as the rest of the Legends gather themselves.

Ray rushed - more like wobbled on shaky legs - to Gideon, the latter frowning at the red staining her fingers. Amaya called for Martin, her tone urgent as she noticed the blood leaking from her ear.

  
"What the bloody hell was that?" Gideon muttered, wincing when Ray gently turned her head so she was facing him.

  
" _What the bloody hell's_ right," Mick grunted as he shoot out of his chair, his grip tightening around his gun

Sara walked in front of him, a firm hand pushing back. Mick growled down at her, to which she responded with an unimpressed cocked eyebrow. Mick gave a last grunt before lowering his gun so the canon was facing the floor and walked back. Having been busy stopping Mick from going out and try to roast dinosaurs, Sara hadn't notice Martin's arrival in the galley. The older man had taken Ray's place in front of Gideon, ignoring as Amaya and Ray hovered, concerned frowns matching.

"Guys," Nate called, having regained his fleshy appearance.

Swallowing - an umptenth - groan of frustration, Sara went through join at the windows, freezing for a second when she noticed what had caught Nate's attention. She heard Amaya's quiet gasp, informing of her presence beside her.

"They're retreating," she said, watching the spectacle of T-Rex's walking away from their preys, without even trying to take a bit of it.

"Astonishing," Martin whispered, having left Gideon's side to join their contemplation.

Sara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms against her chest, glaring out the window as the gigantic beasts walked. They all seemed to be walking in synch, as if they had been ordered to left their metallic carcasse. As if they were programmed machines.

"More like convenient," she retorted, her head tilted to the side and her bottom lip stuck between her teeth.  
As if her words were some kind of cue, Sara heard the cargo bay door lower down. A silence fell over the kitchen and her hands tightened into fists in reaction. The rational part of her brain suggested that it was probably Jax playing around the ship's machinery and making sure everything worked as it should. The dread in her stomach warned her that it was something else. Sara threw a look behind her, finding six pairs of eye staring back at her, hesitantThe anger plastered on Martin's face caught her eye, causing the dread to worsen. T

"What is it, Professor?"

He let out a shaky breath and shook his head, rubbing his left wrist with a small grimace.

"I'm not quite sure, actually. I just suddenly felt... really angry."

That was when they heard the heavy pairs of boots running up the ramp and walked and into the ship.  
With her bo staff no where in sight, Sara grabbed the first knife she saw and slid into her boot before she turned around to face the rest of the team, her face blank.

"Amaya, Mick : I'll need you to stay Gideon and the professor," she held up finger before he could protest, "we need to cover all bases, who knows how many or them are here?"

Sara, then, pointed two fingers to Nate and Ray, indicating them to follow her with a jerk of her head. They walked down the halls in an eery silence, as if inwardly preparing themselves for a fight. Ray was fumbling with the repulsor glove - which Sara hadn't even noticed earlier - while Nate shook his hands and rolled his neck and shoulders.

"Don't steel on until threatened," Sara smirked when seeing his confuse and frustrated frown, "we have the advantage on them, let's not exposed ourselves to them and lose it."

"I'll say that them forcing their ways on board is enough of a threat," Nate muttered.

Sara rolled her eyes before she caught sight of the intruders and stopped in her tracks, forcing the other two to do the same. Three figures stood in front of them, riffles pointed forward and fingers brushing on triggers. She swallowed a growl when she noticed Jax on his knees, his tools scattered around him as his arm had been forced behind his back by a fourth person. As she moved toward him, she heard the safety being clicked off.

"Stay right where you are," one of them barked.

A guy. Mid-thirties. Barely a head taller than her, Sara inwardly assessed, cold blue eyes raking over his body - body devoid of any armor or protection. She could take him out in the blink of an eye. She would have if it wasn't for Jax's predicament. She decided to stay on the safe side and replied with a smile, taking a step back with her hands up. Ray moved to stand in front of her, his gloved hand hidden his back and his bare Ray one raise in a sign of compliance.

"There's no need for drastic measures, we're all innocent and responsible adults here.

"What are you, some kind of hero-wannabe?" another henchman snarled, earning snickers from the other two.

From the corner of her eye, Sara could see Ray swallow his retort and fake a laugh, his gloved hand tightening behind his back. Keeping his composure, he plastered a smile on his face and took a slow, careful step forward.

"I'm just trying to minimize the damage, guys," Ray kept his tone lighthearted and his attitude aloof before his gaze settled onto Jax, his smile letting place to a frown, "You alright?"

"Peachy, dude. Just enjoying myself on the dirty floor. Wouldn't mind if that freaking psycho let go of my arm!"  
  
Jax's captor glowered down at him before he twisted his arm with unnecessary force, causing a cry of pain out of Jax. Screw this, Sara barely had the time to take a step toward him, her fingers reaching into her boot for a knife before she was met with the rifle's barrel and an ugly scowl.

"I said, stay right where you are," he hissed.

Sara met his glare with a cold, indifferent stare and lifted her chin up, as if daring him to press the trigger. Too engaged in her battle of stares, she was barely aware of the fifth pair of footsteps - roots that seemed to be wearing high heels - until the new arrival made her presence known.

"Now, now, fellas. There's no need for that," she scolded, her tone mocking.

With a frown, Sara tore her gaze away from the henchman to find the source of the - somehow - familiar voice. Her gaze fell onto the tall - hot - all dressed in back brunette assessing the scene with attentive eyes. One of her fingers mindlessly played with one of her curls while her other hand was clenched around a large gun. As she squinted her eyes at it, Sara swore she could see some kind of gold substance in its charger. Brown eyes met blue, and her previously bored expression let place to a wide smirk as she practically skipped to the blonde.

"Ralphie, baby," she put two fingers on the barrel and lowered it so the canon was facing the floor, "Pretty sure we need them alive if we want to interrogate.

" 'Interrogate. ?" Nate chimed in, talking a step forward.

"Well, of course!" she tilted her head to the side, a small giggle escaping her lips, "we can't exactly leave you roaming around the city after you just appeared out of thin air in a stolen time ship."

Frowning, Sara turned her gaze to Nate and mouthed 'stolen', the latter shrugging in response, his confusion matching hers. Both looked to Ray, the latter being uncharacteristically quiet as he stared, unblinking, at the other woman. It managed to catch her attention, her focus shifting from Sara to Ray. She cocked an eyebrow and it was apparently all was needed for him to speak.

"You're Lisa Snart," he blurted out, his tone filled with awe and suspicion.

Both eyebrows up to her hairline, Lisa let out a surprised laugh and Sara couldn't help but compare her to her late brother. Where Leonard had been - no pun intended - cold and calculated, Lisa seemed more vibrant and careless. Leonard had been ruthless and Lisa seemed to be easily swayed. Sara willed herself to focus harder and once she saw it, there was no going back. She recognized the mischievousness shining through the pain she had seen in Leonard's eyes. She noticed discreet, small mannerisms Lisa had surely picked up from her big brother. Sara saw behind the careful picked mask of a bored, dimwit woman and found Lisa Snart. 

  
Lisa slowly made her say to Ray, brushing past Sara - and discreetly pushing her backward as she did so - to plant herself in front of the taller main.

"I see I found myself at a disadvantage here, handsome. You seem to know who I am and unfortunately I can't say the same about you," Lisa crossed her arms, her gun carelessly dangling from her fingers.

"Palmer. I mean Ray! I- I mean. I'm Ray Palmer," Ray stammered out, slightly unsettled by Lisa's piercing stare. Nate groaned and let his head fall in his hands.

"Hum," Lisa pursed her lips in thoughts, her eyes narrowed, "Ray Palmer. Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Cause he's dead," an unfamiliar voice intervened from behind her, the Legends to take action as they turned around.

Nate steeled on while Ray held up his gloved hand, aiming to fire at the young woman who Sara knew hadn't been there seconds ago. She racked her gaze over their fighting stances before snorting and literally disappearing in thin air, with a pop. Sara closed her eyes, letting out a breath before she turned back around, her migraine coming back with a vengeance. And now, they had to deal with metahumans. If it hadn't been for her years of training in the League, she'd probably either be screaming or crying out in frustration.

  
Her eyes reopened at a popping sound, unsurprised when she found the dark-haired woman standing next to Lisa, twirling the knife that had previously been in Sara's fingers.

"Died when his compagny went _ka-boom_ a couple of years ago," she continued, as if she had been here since the beginning. And maybe she had.

"Aw, shame," Lisa pouted before her grip tightened around her gun, her grin almost feral, "Now, who are you really? Former Time Masters? Time pirates?"

 ** _"Time pirates_** -" Nate spluttered, his head snapping up, "We're actually who we say we are."

"Which is...what? Felons? Morons?"

  
"A nice addition to my golden statues' collections?" Lisa added, her tone disturbingly giddy.

Nate gaped at her before he turned to Ray, slapping his arm with a muttered dude, back me up. Ray paid him no mind, his attention on the newest arrival.

"It's Shawna, right?" A small smirk tugged at his lips at the brief surprise showing on her, "or Peek-A-Boo, I guess. Y'know, you two are the last people I expect to accuse someone else of felony. Or anyone of your merry bands of rogues. Speaking of, should we expect any more of you?"

Now, Nate was gaping at Ray, staring at him as if he was already picturing the flowers he'd pick for his funerals. As he made to move toward toward the taller man, Sara grabbed his arms, nails digging into his flesh and forcing him to look back at her. She loosened her grip at the sight of his grimace and gave a subtle shake of head. While Ray was always beaming with optimism and positivity and had dreams of great adventures, he wasn't an idiot. After making sure that Nate wouldn't intervene, she let go of his arm and turned her attention back onto Ray and Shawna, both oblivious to their silent conversation

  
"You think you can appeal to me by throwing facts around?" Shawna sneered

  
"Of course not, anyone with access to Internet could tell you that," Ray replied, undeterred, "Which is why I'm trying to appeal to her," he added, nodding toward Lisa.

Letting out a short laugh, Lisa jutted out her hip and cocked her head to the side.

"And why do I think I'll be more incline to believe you?"

Ray's responding smile was genuine, almost fond.

"Because I knew your brother."

 _There it is_ , Sara thought as she watched Lisa's smirk vanish and her grip tighten around her gun.

"Careful, Pretty Boy. You're on thin ice, right now.

Nate muttered something about puns obviously being a family thing. Sara shushed him. She liked the puns.

"The guy might have acted tough, but he was a tender heart. He had a sweet tooth, used to drown his pancakes in maple syrup," Ray gave a small short at the memory, "I told him it was disgusting and he responded by taking my plate and leaving the room. He couldn't sleep with the door closed, either. I used to find out weird at first, but who was I to meddle in something that's none of my business?"

Lisa still stood strong, her gun held out in front of her - Sara noticed the hand holding it trembling. She caught sight of Lisa's brown eyes and noticed that her resolve was starting to crumble, her mask slowly sliding off her face and exposing a grieving sister. Behind her, Sara could see the henchmen growing restless and Shawna growing incertain. Holding his hands up, Ray took the risk of taking a step forward. To everyone's surprise, Lisa took a step back.

"He had this bear on his bed - he always made it, by the way. A brown teddy pair wearing a blue parka and a pair of goggles. He also had this necklace. None of us made fun of it, cause...," Ray shrugged, "Well, your brother was kinda terrifying."

"I gave that to him," Lisa muttered, her arm slowly lowering, much to Sara's relief. She cleared her throat and shot Ray a small smile, "it was a joke. Found it next to the Flash in the toy section. The necklace's mine," her fingers brushed the pendant hanging from her neck, "we switched them so we always had something of the other to hang on to."

"Does that mean you believe me, Lisa?" Ray asked, his voice soft as if he didn't want to disrupt her train of thoughts.

Lisa blew out a breath and, a second later, a cocky smirk found itself back onto on her face.

"For now, Ray Palmer."

"Oh, that is bullshit," one of the henchmen - Richie - protested, "What, he feeds you some sob story and you fall for it?"

Sara barely has the time to blink before the rogue was standing in front of Richie, the barrel of her gun pointed to the space between his eyes. You could almost hear a pin drop. The other henchmen stared,unsure of what do - of who to point their guns on. Lisa trailed a slow finger the length of Richie's cheek, their bodies almost flushing together as she got closer.

"If you don't shut your pretty mouth and question my authority again, I'll make sure you'll end up as a statue, standing guard in front of the refuge," Lisa squeezed his cheeks, her cold ice cold, "Got it?"

"Now, now, Lisa," a deep voice scolded, "There's no need to ressort to violence. For now."

With an eye roll, Lisa smirked at Richie, the latter responding with a whimper, and kissed him loudly on his cheek before she leaned back and skipped to the new arrival's side. All those people appearing out of no where made Sara's head spin.

"And who the hell are you?" Nate asked, voicing the Captain's thoughts aloud.

He responded with a smirk, his eyes from one person to another as he scabbard from head to toe. He couldn't be older than 20 and yet, he exuded confidence and authority. His short brown hair was swept to the side - as if he ran his fingers through it so many times that it had stuck that way. He was wearing a simple Henley shirt, covered by a dark leather jacket that matched his black pants. That wasn't the pair of pants that caught Sara's attention first, but the thigh holster strapped to his leg and the familiar gun in it. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he took a quick look around, his smile turning into something of a reminiscent, nostalgic smile, before his gaze fell onto Shawna.

"Take a look around the ship, there's more to the crew than there guys," he ordered.

Letting out a resigned sigh, Shawna gave him a nod and disappeared in a *pop. With half a smile, he turned back to the rest of his men and frowned on mock confusion, his head tilted to the side.

"You'd think it'd be for you to carry simple orders such as the one I gave you," his green eyes darted to Jax's kneeling form, his jaw clenched, "Let him up."

As he went to protest the order, he was silenced by a simple raise of an eyebrow, as if dared to do anything other than obey, and reluctantly met Jaxup to his feet. Glaring at his captor, Jax brushed away his offering hand, much to the stranger's amusement, and, giving the latter a wide berth, made to join the Legends' side. Sara could only muster the force to shot him a smile and give his good arm a small squeeze. She would kill for a thirty minute nap. Hell, Sara was ready to let one of them shoot her if that meant she could close her eyes.

"Again, _who the hell are you_ , dude?" Jax repeated Nate's previous question, rubbing his sore arm. 

  
"Seeing you're the one trespassing, I don't think you have the authority to ask questions," he rolled his eyes when meeting the Legends' matching frowns, "You do know that you are currently residing on a stolen military time ship."

Her thoughts were jumbled and his accent was so odd that she couldn't attach a nationality to it. Yet, his words carried a familiarity that left Sara second-guessing herself. Had they already met that guy? Nate put an end to her confusing train of thoughts with a long-suffering sigh.

"For the last time, we're not trespassing, nor are we time pirates that stole the Waverider. We've been living for the past six months, at the very least. And plus, we've introduced ourselves. It's only curtesy you do the same."

"Wrong, he introduced himself," he corrected, pointing a long finger at Ray, "and even if you truly are who you say are, Dr Palmer, it's still doesn't explain what are you doing on my father's ship with him being nowhere in sight."

Sara barely heard the whispered and confused ' _father_ ' coming out from Nate's mouth because all of her awareness was suddenly focused on the familiar stranger. She didn't know how long it took for Ray or Jax to figure it out but she knew that they had come to the same conclusion as her. Maybe it was that piercing green gaze that seemed to hold all the secrets of the universe. Maybe that was that amused half smile, growing as he observed Jax. Or maybe it had been that futuristic gun strapped to his leg. It only took Sara's gaze to fall onto a familiar golden pocket watch to know for certain.

  
Sara slowly lifted her head, blue wide eyes meeting the confused and weary green stare. When she spoke next, her voice came came out as a whisper, almost like a prayer.

"Jonas."

Sara didn't feel herself slipping to the floor. She didn't hear he worried voices calling for her name. She barely remember losing consciousness. Sara did remember Jonas Hunter staring at her, green shining with wonder. She also remembered the cold floor and thinking that there were worst surfaces to fall asleep on.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit : sara didn't pass out because of jonas, but because of something else.
> 
> for reading and please, don't forget to comment and come and follow me on tumblr, @oreosmunroe. 
> 
> lots of love and until next time,  
> Kadi.


	3. reunited and it feels so weird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Resistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait in between chapters - i'm writing a million things all at one and college is... College. The last few months of 2017 have been pretty hard for me - especially my mental health - but i'm getting back to my feet, so that's good ! 
> 
> A lot of new characters appearing in this chapter, I'll hope you enjoy !

 

When Sara regained consciousness, she was convinced to be either dreaming or dead. She woke up in a white, immaculate room, the bright ceiling light making her having ever open her eyes. Her headache was lessened, so there was that. But that wasn't the reason why she thought she was still asleep. That wasn't the reason why she was questionning her current state and sanity. No, the reason was sitting next to her, familiar bright brown eyes staring back at her with concern and relief. The reason was her supposedly dead older sister brushing blonde hair out of her eyes as Sara stared at her.

 

 

"Laurel?" Sara croaked out, her throat hoarse and her eyes wide.

 

 

She wouldn't blink. She didn't dare blink, as if afraid that the apparition would vanish out of the exist the second her eyes would close. The Laurel look-alike's smile widened as she gave a small nod.

 

 

"Hey sleepy head, you gave us quite a scare," she frowned, her cool hand on Sara's cheek. She couldn't help but lean in the touch, "You passed out from exhaustion. It was very dramatic."

 

 

Sara blinked. A tear rolled down her cheek. Laurel wiped it away with her thumb and it was it took for Sara to break. She abruptly sat up and wrapped the oldest woman in a tight hug, closing her eyes when Laurel let out a surprised gasp. Sara buried her face in the crook of her neck, keeping her tears at bay. God, she even smelled like her. How could she smell like her? Sara briefly remembered Barry and his talk about other Earths and the existence of doppelgangers. Had they travelled to another Earth without them being aware of it? That would explain a lot : Gideon being human, dinosaurs roaming modern Los Angeles, Jonas, and now... Laurel. Sara snapped out of her thoughts when the latter returned the embrace with a small laugh, pinching her hips before pulling back. Sara relucantly let go.

 

 

"I missed you too, baby sister, but it hasn't been that long. Or has it?" Laurel scrunched up her nose and tilted her head to the side, "Does time works in a different way aboard the Waverider?"

 

 

Sara was the one who frowned at that, shaking her head.

 

 

"I don't understand. How can you be-"

 

 

"Long story," Laurel sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

 

 

She grabbed a bottle of water off the medical cart next to her and handed it to Sara, the latter eyeing it for a minute before taking it out of her hands. She sat at the side of Sara's bed, folding a leg and wrapping her arms around it."

 

 

"Well, it's not that long. A few months after you left aboard the Waverider with Ray and the others, there was that," Laurel frowned as she looked for words to express her thoughts, "sort of black hole appeared in Star City and I got sucked into it and landed... Here. In this Jurassic version of Los Angeles," she kicked Sara's thigh with a smirk.

 

 

 

Sara's frown deepened, her hands tightening around the water. She had the presence of mind to close it back, stopping the water from squirting on her face. Rubbing her mouth with the back of her hand, Sara put the bottle beside her and looked back at Laurel. Laurel, Laurel, Laurel. Bright and wide-eyed Laurel. Alive Laurel. Laurel, who didn't seem to be aware she was supposed to be dead months ago.

 

 

 

"I-uh, why didn't you try to go back to Star City?" Sara asked, pushing her morbid thoughts to the back of her head.

 

 

"I did," Laurel groaned, crossing both of her legs, "the first thing I did when Jonas found me was try to contact any one back home. No one of them picked. Not Oliver or Thea, not Dad, not Felicity," she shrugged, "As far as we know, Star City is gone."

 

 

"How can it be gone?" Sara exclaimed, racking her hands through her hair, "How can you act so nonchalant about it? Do you not care?"

 

 

"Of course I care," Laurel retorted, slightly taken aback by her sister's outburst, "But there isn't a lot we can do at the moment. No one can't get out of the city undected. If they do try, they'll get eaten by a T-Rex or the Mayor."

 

 

Sara deflated a bit at that, her confusion worsening at every piece of new information she gathered.

 

 

"The Mayor? Y'mean like that guy who wrecked havok in the Glades?"

 

 

"Worse," Laurel cocked an eyebrow, "He's smarter and has the entire city under his control. You're lucky we caught sight of the Waverider before his radars did."

 

 

"Who's _we_ exactly?" Sara asked, leaning back against the wall, "And where are we?"

 

 

 

Laurel's entire demeanour changed at that, a wide grin plastered on her face and big, bright eyes shining with excitement. She looked so happy, so full of life. Sara swallowed a new wave of sobs and refused to blink.

 

 

 

"Lovely, baby sister of mine," she announced with a flourish, her grin widening at Sara's snort, "Welcome to the Resistance."

 

* * *

 

  
  
Gideon couldn't help but stare, marveled by her own flesh, by each of her limbs. Her hands were stretched out in front of her as she flexed each of her ten fingers. She could definetey see the appeal. A lock of hair fell out of the loose ponytail Amaya had put her hair up into earlier and into her eyes. Gideon let out a small laugh as she twirled it around her pinkie finger, careful not pull at it. She was still wearing Captain Lance's clothes, a simple white long-sleeve shirt and a grey pair of yoga leggings. Her feet were bare, much to Gideon's discontentment. They had been forced out of the Waverider and into this little room with no explanation whatosever, being treated like the criminals they had approved they weren't. She could feel her discontentment turn into anger as she thought about the idiots currently roaming through the ship. A ship that had been her body, merely hours ago.

 

Gideon let out a small sigh, raising her eyes from her hands as she gazed around the room. The crew was restless and the absence of their Captain made it worse. Dr Heywood had been pacing the length of the small room since they had been brought in, stretching his arms over his head every now and then. Dr Palmer was muttering under his breath some theorems and whatnots, only stopping when Mr Rory would look up and glare and growl at him. The latter sat on the cot opposing her, pulling at his gloves and flexing his fingers. His hand would sometimes fall to his side, as if reaching for his gun - gun that had been confiscated - before groaning. Mr Jackson sat at the end of the bed, his knees jiggling up and down and an angry frown plastered on his face. Miss Jiwe was leaning against a wall, the storm in her eyes betraying her seemingly calm composure, her fingers caressing her bare collarbone - her totem gone.

 

 

"Are you alright, my dear?" Gideon startled as the sixth crewmember broke her contemplation, a warm hand going to rest on her ankle. She met Professor Stein's concerned gaze when looking up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

 

"It's quite alright," Gideon flashed him a small smile, covering his hand with her trembling one, "and I'm fine, it's just... A lot to take in all at once. Getting used to my new humanity while being locked in an unfamiliar place," she muttered the last part.

 

 

The Professor took both of her hands and squeezed them, returning the smile. Once again, Gideon marvelled at the simplicity of the gesture and the reassuring meaning it conveyed. It felt nice. It felt natural.

 

 

 

"What do you think they're doing right now?" Jax spoke up, attracting all gazes to him.

 

 

"I'm afraid you're going to be more specific than that, Jefferson," Martin frowned at him, keeping one of Gideon's in his.

 

 

"To the Waverider, to Sara," Jax pushed himself off the bed, as if ready to join Dr Heywood in his restless pacing. He didn't, "What are they planning on doing to us?"

 

 

 

His last words were followed by an uneasy silence, each exchanging looks. Ray cleared his throat, gulping when becoming the target to all looks.

 

 

"They're probably looking through our things, searching for weapons. To see if we pose as a threat or not," he offered with a small shrug.

 

 

Miss Jiwe nodded in agreement to his reasoning and he allowed himself a breath of relief. Gideon smiled at that. Though the crew was still finding its footing with the new arrivals and few departures, they somehow managed to rely on one another when needed. Dr Heywood didn't seem as convinced if the loud groan he let out was anything to go by.

 

 

"Oh come on! As if them drawing out blood wasn't proof of who we were already," he lifted his arm, exposing the red inside of his elbow, "How do we know if they're the good guys? How do we know they aren't currently doing some type of experiments at the momeny and turning Sara into some kind of dino-hybrid?"

 

 

Gideon frowned at him, her expression quickly mimicked by Miss Jiwe and Martin. Dr Palmer had gone two shades paler, as if he was considering the unlikely scenario. Mr Rory was indifferent, his cocked eyebrow being the only sign that he was actually following the conversation.

 

 

 

"Seriously, dude?" Jax groaned, letting his head fall in his hands.

 

 

"What?" Dr Heywood shrugged.

 

"What Mr Jackson means to say is that your theory sounds highly unlikely, Dr Heywood," Gideon intervened, frowning at how small and quiet her voice sounded.

 

 

"With all due respect, Gideon," Dr Heywood held out a hand, as if to placate her. Gideon cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "You weren't even human until a hour ago."

 

 

"And with all due respect," Gideon pushed herself off the cot, her feet hitting the cold and uneven surface, "I've been a sentient A.I for the last thirteen years. I've got a super-power computer in my brain and am able to calculate every idiotic scenario you come up with and their fall-outs in the time that it takes you to blink. I could go on and on about my intelligence overweights yours, Dr Heywood, but I'm sure I've made my point, " she tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at him, "Me being human doesn't make me any less competent."

 

 

 

Gideon felt a smirk spread on her face as Dr Heywood stared back, gaping like a fish out of water. She heard Jax's stiffened laughter, followed by an impressed whistle. She could see Miss Jiwe bite the inside of her cheek while Dr Palmer shifted from one foot to the other.

 

"Ha!" Mr Rory barked out a laugh, "she just called you stupid."

 

 

Her smirk widened when she caught sight of Dr Heywood's red ears, the latter turning around and pulling a face at the rogue before he went to join Miss Jiwe and Dr Palmer. Dr Palmer patted his back and Miss Jiwe rolled her eyes when he leaned his head against her shoulder, a pout plastered on his face. He sobered when she began running her fingers through his hair, his tense body relaxing at the touch. Gideon was the one to roll her eyes this time.

 

 

"Gideon's right. Entertraining ludicrous ideas such as this isn't going to help us in any away," Martin intervened, tapping his ring finger against his elbow.

 

"What else are we supposed to then?" Jax threw his hands in the air, frustrated. Gideon noticed Martin's jaw clench, physically showing the annoyance that his younger counterpart was feeling.

 

"We wait," Miss Jiwe sighed, her words echoing in the suddenly silent room.

 

 

Gideon let out a loud sigh, her toes folding on themselves as she shifted from one foot to the other. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to wait for someone to bring a pair of shoes. Or at least, thick socks. 

 

* * *

 

 

  
"Do you believe them?"

 

 

Jonas looked away from the monitor and to the tall man standing behind him. His brown hair was sticking out to every side, making it seem like he had just woken up - he had been forced out of his bed by an irritated Black Canary three hours ago - and he was wearing a three-day old bear. At least, he had been given the time to jump into some clean clothes before joining Jonas and the Rogues up to the control room. He had his arms crossed against his chest, frowning at the screen in front of him, as if he would be able to answer his own question just by staring at it. Lisa, sitting in front of the monitor, held a headphone to her ear and stared at with the same scrutinity - her gaze darted from Rory to Palmer.

 

 

"Don't you think I should?" Jonas retorted, cocking an eyebrow at him.

 

 

His lips pursed, he lifted his shoulder in mock-nonchalance. Jonas stifled a snort, a small smirk at his lips. He had heard of Hal Jordan, through the bedtime stories told by his father. He had read about the Lantern Corps and the other Lanterns. He had heard of the pilot's devil-may-care attitude and his uncontrollable tongue. Spending the last couple of months in his compagny had also taught Jonas that Hal always seemed to speak his mind, no matter whom he was speaking to.

 

 

 

"Y'know, I chose to believe you," he remarked on.

 

 

"And your life has been better ever since, Hunter," Hal retorted, a cheeky grin pulling at his lips, "Beside, how could you not believe this face?"

 

 

 

Jonas snorted at loud at that, meeting Lisa's amused gaze for a second before the latter turned back to the screens. His gaze moved to the Lance sisters, watching with a keen eye as the two reunited. He noticed the way Sara didn't allow her eyes to move away from the older woman, even for a second, not even daring to blink. Frowning at the image, he tilted his head to the side and nibbled on his bottom lip in thoughts. He was missing something.

 

 

"But what do I know? You're the boss, Baby Face," Hal spoke up again, snapping Jonas out of his thoughts.

 

 

He didn't even blink at the nickname, nor did he bother to acknowledge his taunting tone. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the older man getting antsy, twisting his ring around his finger and his jaw clenched. Clearing his throat, Jonas ran a hand over his face and scratched his chin before he made his way to both Lisa and the quieter Hartley Rathaway, the latter muttering under his breath as he switched from one image to the other.

 

 

"Did the Mayor pick on the Waverider's signals?" Jonas asked, resting an arm on the back of his chair.

 

 

"It doesn't appear so," Hartley repeated, flexing his fingers and pulling on his ear, "The Waverider's system shut off as soon as it entered the city for some reason."

 

 

"Because it isn't meant to be here," Jonas muttered to himself, frowning at the different transmission.

 

 

"Here, where?" Lisa turned to him with a frown.

 

 

"This timeline, this universe," Jonas elaborated on, pinching his lower lip, "Can't be sure until we know exactly how they got here. How about the bloodtest results?"

 

 

"All of them came back positive. Except that Gideon lady," he frowned at the pulled up medical chart on his screen, "we can't find any records, past, present or future, concerning her. It's like she appeared out of thin air," he closed the window and focused back on the live-feed.

 

 

"That's probably what happened," Jonas said, his head tilted to the side as he narrowed his eyes at the redhead who had previously introduced herself as Gideon, the faithful Waverider's A.I and his father's best friend.

 

 

 

  
There was something going on - other for the fact that a group of vigilantes had shown up in his father's timeship without said father - and Jonas couldn't but his finger on it much to his frustration. Blowing out a breath, he grabbed his jacket and gun holster under three curious pair of eyes. Strapping the holdster around his thigh, he then shrugged his jacket on.

 

 

 

 

"Are you sure you going need that?" Hal spoke up, eyeing the gun before looking back at him.

 

 

  
"Can't hurt to be prepared for the worst. Beside I'll have you," he nodded to Hal, "and you," he pointed to Lisa, "to prevent everything from going to shit."

 

 

  
"And what exactly are you planning to do?" Lisa asked, already walking to the door.

 

 

  
Jonas shot them a smirk, adjusting his caller.

 

 

  
"Just ask some questions."

 

* * *

 

  
  
Rip felt a headache coming on and for once, none of the Legends were to blame. Baxter and Jonah had been here for a total of fifteen minutes and a million disaster scenarios had come to his mind. He tried to block it all out : his father's inquisitive and weary gaze, Baxter and Jonah's bickering, Skeets hovering above his head. He found himself wishing he had gone to Aruba, by himself, throwing his cellphone and all other means in communication in the ocean. Rip lifted his head from the head at the sudden lull in the conversation - arguing - and found all three looking at him, each with different levels of frustration.

 

There was something really disturbing in seeing all of them in the same location and time period. They were these three people, all representing different periods of his life. Periods that had never met, people that had never crossed paths. And would never had if it wasn't for them playing God and messing with the simplest rules of time travel. He could pratically hear Miranda's snickering in his ear and imagine Baxter's anger as soon as he'd dare open his mouth. While the latter, clad in her usual Time Master outfit, managed to make him forget that she wasn't actually from this time period, Jonah stuck out like a sore thumb. Rip made a mental note to get him some fresh, appropriate outfits.

 

  
Baxter's loud clear of throat snapped him out of his train of thought. Her pointed glare told him tht he had obviously missed something she had said. Swallowing a groan, he sat up, pushing his shoulders back.

 

 

 

"Sorry, what was that?"

 

 

  
"I believe her exact words were '*what the fuck, Hunter?*" Michael intervened, giving his shoulder a pat. Rip glared at him. His father gave him a thumb's up.

 

 

"Well, the lass got a point, Hunter," Jonah intervened, his fingers drumming against the butt of his gun.

 

 

  
"First of all, don't call me lass," Baxter spat, glowering at Jonah. She rolled her eyes when the latter tipped his head to her and crossed her arms, "And don't agree with me, it's making me uncomfortable."

 

 

  
Rip restrained the urge to let his head fall back into his hands and held Baxter's gaze, his elbows propped up on his knees. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

 

 

"Well, are you going to talk or do you expect me to guess? How did you and your band of hooligans fuck up this time?"

 

  
"Why did you immediately assume it's something we did something?" Rip spluttered, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth.

 

 

"I've met you," Baxter stated, her eyebrow getting higher. Rip caught sight of Jonah giving a solemn nod next to her, "How did you end up here anyway?", she added, looking around the garage with a disgusted grimace plastered on her face.

 

  
"Woah, rein in the judgemental tone, Time Cop !" Michael exclaimed, outraged. Rip snorted at Baxter's frown, "You don't see me going in your ship and insult it."

 

  
"That's because my ship doesn't resemble a dumb," Baxter focused her judgemental glare on his father and Rip couldn't but let out a sigh of relief at that. He pursed his lips when both turned to look at him.

 

"I'm afraid she's got a point," Rip said, nodding toward Baxter. He smirked at his father's betrayed expression and got up from his stool, "As for everything that's been going on right now, there's a lot. But as for now, I believe introductions are in order. Captain Baxter, : meet Booster Gold a-k-a Michael Carter, a 25th century thief turned super-hero," he ignored his father's glare at the description and shot him a small smile, "Dad, meet Eve Baxter,former time master and current Captain of the Acheron and Jonah Hex, who holds no title as far as I know," he added, with a frown.

 

 

  
Jonah looked back at him, unimpressed while Baxter seemed a bit more shocked by the introductions if the wide eyes and intense stare was anything to go by. Rip wasn't sure if it was the fact that he had introduced the infamous Booster Gold or by his apparent nonchalance despite the fact that something was incredibly, terribly, horribly wrong. Jonah and Baxter's presence in a some-sort of futuristic Metropolis only cemented the foreboding feeling he had had since hearing the name Dinah Laurel Lance. Baxter blinked several times, as if slowly coming back to her senses and Rip braced himself from the million of questions that would follow...

 

Only for the frontdoor to slam open, the bells above it crashing to the flower as a striek of green stormed into the shop and toward them. It took longer that he'd like to admit for Rip to recognize Beatriz da Costa - codename : Fire - or as most commonly known as simple Bea. The latter barely paid him any attention as she made a beeline for his father. Rip noticed Michael's gaze dart to Bea's clenched hands before he took a step back, as if afraid she'd be burst into flames at any moment now. Judging by the way she'd came in and the angry waves that came off her body, it was probably a wise choice to make. Rip took a step back, almost standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his father.

 

 

  
  
"Have you seen Tora?" She blurted out with no preamble whatsoever.

 

 

"Hello to you too, Firecracker," Michael shot up with a small chuckle, his laughter dying in his throat when Bea's eyes shone green. He cleared his throat, "No, at least not today. Why?"

 

 

"When was the last time you saw her?" Bea pressed on, "When was the last time you talked to her?"

 

 

  
  
Michael frowned at her, all previous amusement and playfulness replaced by weariness.

 

 

  
  
"A few days before she left for New York. Again, Bea: why?"

 

 

 

Bea let out a groan, racking her fingers through her short, green hair before blowing out a slow breath and tucking her hair behind her ears, as if she was trying to ground and calm herself. Looking over her head, Rip took notice of both confused and bewildred expressions plastered on Baxter's and Jonah's face. It was then that Bea took notice of the younger Carter's presence.

 

 

  
"Rip?" Bea frowned. Rip raised a hand in greeting, "What the hell are you doing here?"

 

  
"That does seem to be the question, doesn't it?" Rip muttered to himself, a mirthless smile on his face. Her frown deepened.

 

  
"The question is *who the hell are you*, lady?" Jonah spoke up, obviously getting irritated and slightly impatient.

 

 

 

Rip winced and Michael let out a groan when Bea slowly turned around to look at Jonah, her sudden calm scarier than her previous anger. A green flame sneaked around her wrist before they moved to the tip of her fingers, disappearing into rain of sparkles when she snapped her fingers. Jonah flinched back at the sharp sound and Bea smirked, her smirk slowly melting a snarl as she took a step forward.

 

 

 

"I'm sorry," Bea cocked an eyebrow, shooting a look at Michael from the corner of her eye, "I wasn't aware the circus was in town."

 

 

  
Jonah let out a low growl, the drumming against his gun a bit more agitated. Michael wrapped a hand around her arm when she went to take another step forward, undeterred by the glare she threw his way.

 

 

  
"Chill, Da Costa," he warned before allowing her to shake off his hold, "What's got you so worked up?"

 

 

  
"I've been trying to reach Tora for hours and each time, "this number you're trying to reach is no longer available'," Bea mimicked the robotic voice of an answering machine with an eyeroll. Michael frowned at her and she groaned, annoyed that he wasn't getting her point, "she was supposed to come back from New York two days ago."

 

 

Rip watched as confusion turned into concern, his father's entire body tense as he registered the words. The lump in his throat got larger and larger, almost making it impossible for him to breathe. In, out. In, out. A hand rubbing his neck, Rip cleared his throat and focused on breathing when all heads turned to him. In, out. In, out.

 

 

  
"What are the odds she was given a solo assignement?" He suggested.

 

 

"Without me being notified?" Michael cocked an eyebrow at his younger namesake and shook his head, "Inexistant. Skeets!"

 

 

  
Rip barely had the time to duck before the ever faithful robot flew over his head and to Booster Gold's side. Because that was who it was. Not Michael Carter, not his always-joking father. He wasn't the teasing and smug Booster Gold either. No, his voice was loud, commanding. His face was blank, but his eyes were cold. He was Booster Gold, a member of the JLI and one of his fellow League members was missing, possibly in danger. Now was not the time for jokes.

 

 

  
"You called, Boss?"

 

"I did. I need you to scan through the entire state of New York and find Tora."

 

 

  
Its singular red eye blinked once before Skeets spoke up again, "There's no one responding to the name of Tora Olafsdotter in the entire state of New York."

 

 

  
"What? Are you ki-" Bea felt silence when Michael held up a hand, his stare focused on the robot hovering above their heads.

 

 

"Skeets, I need you to look for Tora Olafsdotter, codename : Ice. Last time we knew, she's been residing in New York City for the last couple of weeks. Current timeline."

 

 

  
Once again, Skeets fell silence, the soft whirring sounds breaking the quiet when he blinked and said:

 

 

  
"There's no existant records about Tora Olafsdotter- codename: Ice - staying in New York City for the last couple of weeks in this current timeline, Boss."

 

 

"For God's sake, your robot's obviously broken-" Again, Michael held up a hand and Bea clenched her hand into a fist, biting the inside of her cheek.

 

 

"Skeets, current location of Captain Eve Baxter," he ordered.

 

 

  
Rip caught sight of the confused expression plastered on her face, her gaze catching his for a brief before her eyes focused onto the robot. Skeets blinked and turned with a soft whir, his sole eye fixed on Baxter.

 

  
  
"Bonnie Baxter - codename : Captain Eve Baxter. Current location: Carter's and Son garage, Metropolis. Current timeline: 2066."

 

  
"Skeets, current location of Michael Carter Jr," Michael pressed on, his arms crossed.

 

  
"Michael Carter Jr - codename: Captain Rip Hunter. Current location: Carter's and Son, Metropolis. Current timeline: 2066," Skeets replied without missing a beat.

 

  
"Now," Michael cocked an eyebrow at Bea, "shall I go on or...?"

 

 

  
Bea rolled her eyes at him but chose to keep quiet. Michael gave her a nod before he turned his attention back to his trusty robotic sidekick.

 

 

  
"Skeets, scan the entire timeline for Tora Olafsdotter - codename: Ice," Michael rubbed his lower lip with his thumb.

 

 

"There's no existant records about Tora Olafsdotter - codename: Ice in this current timeline," Skeets repeated.

 

 

  
Michael racked both of his hands into his hair and began pacing, a frown plastered on his face. Bea watched him walking circles around the store, bouncing up and down on her toes and her bottom lip stuck between her thought. She gave a Rip a look, an eyebrow as if silently asking him if he knew what was going on. Rip replied with a clueless shrug, tapping his ringfinger against his elbow, and grimaced when Bea blew out an irritated breath. Michael suddenly stopped his pacing, his head tilted to the side as he mumbled to himself. Rip caught his father's eyes for a second before the latter shook his head and resumed his muttering to himself.

 

 

  
"Skeets," Michael called, his head snapping up as he twirled on his heels, "Scan through the entire 21st timeline and try to pinpoint Tora's current location."

 

 

"Right away, Boss," Skeets blinked, the soft whirring sound indicating that he was processing the request and currently researching. He blinked again. "Subject found."

 

 

  
Bea let out a breath, bringing a hand to her chest.

 

 

  
"Tora Olafsdotter - codename : Ice. Current location: Star City. Current timeline: 2017."

 

 

 

Bea's relief was short-lived as she processed the rest of the informations, "What? That doesn't make any sense.

 

 

 

"Neither does a cowboy from Western times being stuck in 2066 Metropolis", Rip countered, dread settling at the pit of his stomach, "Maybe you should call Ted and the rest of the League," he added with a nod to his father."

 

  
  
"Yeah, may-"

 

 

  
"Subject found," Skeets perked up again, interrupting Michael's response.

 

 

  
"Yeah, we got that. Thanks, bud," Michael shoved his hands in his pockets, a ever-present frown on his face.

 

 

"Theodore Kord - codename: Blue Beetle. Current location: Star City. Current timeline: 2017."

 

  
Once again, Michael tensed, his eyes glaring holes into the oblivious robot as the latter hovered their heads. Rip closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and swallowing the bile that had risen up his throat. Tora missing and displaced in time was one thing. Ted being in the same timeline while he was supposed to be on a business trip in Present Star City was too being of a coincidence. It explained the unusual calm atmosphere of Metropolis.

 

 

  
"Rip," his eyes opened at his father's no-nonsense vice, the latter staring at him with a glint of panic in his gaze, "No more excuses or half-assed statements. What the hell did you do?"

 

  
Rip sighed, running his fingers through his hair and pulling at it.

 

  
"I think we broke time."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this chapter, it really means the world to me. Please, drop a comment : it'll make my day even better - and give me some kudos - because why not ? It's a simple click, takes one second and it'll make me love you forever. 
> 
> You can also follow me on tumblr, @oreosmunroe : it's fun, i swear 
> 
> Until next time, you awesome, gorgeous people 
> 
> Kadi
> 
> (psa : it might be a while for the fourth to drop - or even be written - because i'm starting my midterms next week. But i'll work on it as soon as I have the time.)


	4. i'm not mad, i'm just deeply disappointed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray could almost hear Rip's screams and defeated sighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry sorry sorry it's been like five months but i've been busy, but here's the fourth chapter! i hope you'll like it !

 

"Of all the dumb things to do, you had to go and do the dumbest!"

  
  
  
  


 

 

Rip rolled his eyes as he followed a ranting, furious Eve out of his father's garage. At the thought of the latter, he looked behind his shoulder to find the older man talking to Bea and somehow, managing to include Jonah into their conversation. Rip smirked at the barely concealed contempt on Bea's face whenever she'd look at Jonah, the latter returning every glare with one of his own. Michael had the good idea to stand between the two, providing some kind of a barrier. Rip looked back forward when Eve took a sharp turn, disappearing into a busy street. Much to his relief, their odd group of people barely attracted any attention. It was Metropolis after all; they had their fair share of oddities happening every now and then.

  
  
  


 

 

"I mean, I get that you wanted to stick it to the Time Masters, but really?" Eve continued, not bothering to look behind her to assure that they were all following her, "Some rules are there for a reason."

  
  


 

"I assure you it was out of necessity, not choice," Rip retorted, sighing when Eve snorted, "had I another alternative, I would've taken it."

  
  


 

"It's really a wonder you've managed to survive for so long," Eve muttered, slowing her pace before engaging into a dark alley.

  
  
  
  


 

Rip frowned when she got up on a closed trashcan and propelled herself into the air, her grasp tight on the emergency ladder as she scaled her way onto the roof. Turning his head, he met his father's confused stare, shrugging when the latter cocked an eyebrow in question. He climbed onto the trashcan with much less agility than Eve and followed her up the roof, hoping that nobody would notice them. Eve swung over the ledge, the gravel on the roof crunching under her boots as she stepped onto the roof.

  
  
  


 

 

"You never told me how you ended up in the company of Hex," Rip grunted, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants.

  
  
  


 

 

His eyes narrowed, he could make the hazy outline of a ship, despite the shields concealing it. There was that familiar, faint buzz that made Rip wary of every step he took, having no desire to run into the hard surface of said ship. Throwing him a look over her shoulder, Eve sighed before continuing her walk without a falter in her step. She didn't flinch, nor hesitate when a ramp lowered out of nowhere, allowing her entry.

  
  
  


 

 

"Time quake. I got pulled out of the temporal zone and sent to Ancient Egypt, where I found the idiot. He thought I was you, for some reason and hitched a ride," Eve explained as she stepped into the familiar interior of the Acheron.

   
  
  
  


Stepping into the time ship only made Rip ache for the Waverider and its crew. Clenching his jaw, Rip cleared his throat and followed Eve into the intricate corridors of the Acheron, the ship coming alive with every step she took. Shrugging off her jacket as they arrived on the bridge, Eve swept her hair to the side and rolled her shoulders, throwing the garment into the Captain's chair.

  
  
  
  


 

"It appears you've suffered a few external wounds, Captain Baxter," Gilbert's voice boomed, making Bea jump as she looked around, her eyes wide. Rip smothered a smile, "I would recommend a trip to the med bay."

  
  


 

"Just scratches and bruises, Gilbert. Nothing to worry about," Eve ran her fingers through her hair, going to stand in front of the central console.

 

 

 

  
  
  


Rip went to stand next to ger, his eyes darting up to look at the various expressions plastered on each of their faces. Bea's anger and concern had briefly disappeared, replaced by awe as she took in every crook and corner of the Acheron, mesmerized. Jonah didn't look like he could care less about it - apparently, the novelty of time ships and time travels wore off fast. His father seemed to be interested by the mechanics of the ship and trinkets laying around. Rip grimaced; he'd have to make sure he wouldn't take off anything off the ship. Eve's expression was nothing but focused as she went through various algorithms and what’s-not, mumbling under her breath as her fingers quickly ran across a holographic keyboard. She looked up and caught his gaze before widening whatever she was working on, allowing him to read through as she worked. Rip gave her a small nod and crossed his arms, his head tilted to the side.

  
  
  
  


 

 

"Y'know, you never told me how you ended up here either," Eve spoke up, making her work disappear with a swipe of her hand. Rip frowned at her and she rolled her eyes, "I mean you told me how you managed to fuck up, but not how you got to Metropolis. Where's the disaster crew? Where's the Waverider?”

  
  
  
  


 

 

Rip let his arms fall to his side, stuffing a hand in his back pocket while rubbing the back of his neck with the other.

  
  
  
  


 

"It's complicated," Eve crossed her arms against her chest and leaned against the console, making a show of listening. Rip groaned, "I've taken my leave from the Waverider. I, no longer, hold the title of Captain."

  
  


 

"Really?" Eve frowned, and Rip braced himself for the onslaught of questions that would surely follow, "How did you get here then?"

  
  


 

"Dropship," he answered, slightly surprised she wasn't pressing for more information and nodded, "Time, however, does not seem to care about my retirement, if this whole mess is any indication."

  
  
  
  


 

Eve cracked a smile and was about to retort when interrupted by the appearance by Gilbert's holographic form, the A.I looking slightly troubled. She pushed herself from the console and stood at her full height and Rip found himself mimicking her posture, preparing for the worse. Jonah, Michael and Bea joined them around the console, all gazes turned to the A.I

  
  
  


"My apologies for interrupting, Captain, but I've seemed to detect a new time aberration in 2017."

  
  


 

"Show me," Eve ordered.

  
  
  


 

 

Gilbert's form disappeared, leaving place to a holographic map, the lights automatically dimming around them. Rip caught sight of the aberrations circled in red, each differing in sizes and visibility. He frowned when noticing that several states were missing from the North American continent. He barely thought as he touched the area before enlarging it with two fingers. There were blanks and dark holes where he knew the state of New York to be, the island of Hawaii was submerged in the Pacific Ocean and he could barely distinguish Illinois from Virginia.

  
  
  
  


 

"Time quakes don't only impact time," Rip's head snapped toward Eve, the latter meeting his gaze. Restoring the map to its original state, Eve swiped her hand over it, her eyes now focused on it, "when you and your team decided to play God - literally - things changed. Countries disappeared, leaving place to new ones. Some even went back in History."

  
  
  
  


 

Eve swiped a finger over Siberia, unflinching when a loud roar echoed around the bridge. Rip watched in bewilderment as the image of tigers playing through the snow with their more imposing ancestors. Eve swiped her hand through it and went back to her original task.

 

  
  
  
  
  


"That's... not possible," Bea whispered, reminding Rip of the presence of others.

  
  


 

"Anything's possible when time has as many holes as Swiss cheese," Eve deadpanned, "Right now, we're all flying blind. For all we know, the temporal zone might have been affected too."

  
  
  
  
  


 

She steadied the map with one hand and enlarged the state of California with two fingers. All eyes were drawn to the vibrant, red circle.

  
  
  
  


 

"Central City," Michael breathed out, a hand on Rip's shoulder as he took a step forward. He cocked an eyebrow, "Coincidence?"

  
  


 

"There's no such thing," Rip muttered.

  
  


 

"Gilbert, pull up live footage," Baxter ordered, leaning back.

  
  
  


 

 

 

Rip wished he would have the time to prepare for what were to follow. After all, he had seen and heard giant sabre-toothed tigers running along tigers. He should be ready anything. And yet, he couldn't help but gape at the sight of the deserted and destroyed streets of Central City. Cars were overturned and shops' windows had been broken, glass littering on the ground. The eerie silence had affected the silence in the Archeron, Bea and Jonah's bickering having coming to an end as they watched the hologram with wide eyes. Rip wished he could say the armoured knights patrolling on horseback surprised him. The fact that he barely blinked was a testament to all the things he'd seen.

  
  
  


 

 

 

"What the hell happened here?" Michael muttered, as if afraid to interrupt the quiet.

  
  


 

"Something terrible," Eve breathed out, her brow furrowed. Clearing her throne, she looked at Rip and crossed her arms, "You mentioned you came here with your dropship?"

  
  


 

"I did," Rip confirmed, narrowing his eyes at her as he slowly caught onto her train of thoughts, "but it won't get us very far, I'm down an engine and the motors have been damaged when I landed. Repairs might take a while."

  
  


 

"Wait, why you care about his dropship when you've got an entire time ship at your disposal?" Bea intervened, a frown on her face.

 

 

Rip opened his mouth to reply, but his father beat him to it, " if the temporal zone is unstable, we can't rely on the time drive to lead us exactly where and when we want to go, which means time-jumping is out of the question. Dropships are easier to manually stir in case we're caught in a time storm."

  
  


 

 

 

Silence followed his lengthy explanation and Michael shrugged, unbothered by their dubious looks, "I know stuff, don't look so surprised," then to Rip, he added, "I'll help you on the repairs, I've got some spare pieces in the garage. In the meanwhile, Captain," Eve cocked an eyebrow at him, "I suggest you figure out what we'll be going after before charging all guns blazing."

  
  
  


 

Rip stared at his father, trying to discern a touch of sarcasm or the ghost of a smirk on his face. Nothing. Michael's face was blank, and his words didn't leave room for argument. Rip restrained the urge to groan like a brat and followed his father when the latter made his way out of the ship.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sara was still gone when the doors opened, revealing their captors - Jonas, Lisa and a man they had yet to properly meet. All stood at attention, Nate immediately steeling on while Jax went to stand next Martin, ready to merge with his counterpart if necessary. Surveying the room, Ray quickly realized that out of the seven currently present, only four would be able to defend themselves - the thought of an unimpressed Amaya reminding him of the many martial arts she had mastered briefly crossed his mind. Turning his attention to the front, he caught the glint of amusement in Jonas' familiar green eyes before it disappeared, leaving place to indifference and sharp concentration. He walked further into the room, his hands up as if to show that he meant no harm.

  
  
  
  


 

 

"Congratulations," he announced, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "your identities have been checked out."

  
  


 

"Obviously," Jax muttered, causing a smirk to appear on Jonas' face, his gaze flickering to Gideon, the latter sitting up as she caught his eye.

  
  


 

"Well, all except for one," Jonas tilted his head to the side, slowly making his way to Gideon, only to stop when Jax stepped in front of her. Once again, he lifted his hands, his eyes focused on Gideon, "the Gideon I knew, no matter how formidable she was, doesn't have the ability to take human form."

  
  
  
  
  


 

 

She smiled at that, putting a hand on Jax's back, assuring him that she was fine before she got up to her feet and walked to Jonas. They were practically toes to toes but neither stepped back. Gideon crossed her arms against her chest and tilted her head up.

  
  


 

 

"While I could recount all of the times I've played hide-and-seek onboard on the Waverider while your father was occupied or all of the times I've seen you streak the bridge, your mother on your heels," Jonas' escorts stifled a laugh at that, unfazed by the glare he threw their way, "I don't believe these would explain how I've obtained this human form."

  
  
  
  


 

 

But it did prove that she was the Gideon that had often watched over the young Hunter when he wandered through his father's ship, eyes wide with awe. Ray watched as Jonas' expression softened, a small smile on his face.

  
  
  
  


 

 

"How do you play hide-and-seek with an A.I?" Nate whispered, having regained his fleshy appearance. Amaya shushed him, slapping his chest.

  
  


 

"Well, now that that mystery has been resolved," Jonas cleared his throat and turned to the rest of the Legends, "mind explaining how you've come across my father's time ship?"

  
  


 

"Your father, that's what happened," Jax spoke up, sighing when being met with Jonas' confused stare, "Rip recruited us for this mission. After which, he chose to retire and left the Waverider in our care."

  
  
  


 

 

Jonas cocked an eyebrow at him, obviously unimpressed by his explanation and Jax winced. He had been intentionally vague and had chosen his words carefully.  
  


 

 

 

 

"And what mission was that?"

  
  


Mick took a step forward, pulling on his gloves and flexing his fingers. "Now hold on one damn minute, Baby English. You've been grilling us without showing us any proof of your identities. Hell, we don't even know where you're keeping us. So, I suggest you start talking."  
  


  
  


“You’re in the Resistance underground base,” Lisa replied when both of her male escorts chose to keep quiet. Jonas threw her a look and she rolled her eyes in response, “What? Mick’s got a point. I suggest we play twenty questions to get to know each other. Maybe truth or dare if we got the time.”

  
  


 

“I suggest you start making sense soon,” Jax retorted, frowning, “Who the hell are you, by the way?”

  
  


 

 

 

He pointed to the third party, the latter standing next to Lisa and Jonas, seemingly oblivious. He looked up from his nails when Lisa slapped his stomach with the back of her hand. His eyes widened when he noticed that the attention was on him, the crowd silence as they waited for him to speak.

  
  


 

 

  
  


“Oh. Hey,” he threw up a peace sign, a grin on his face, “I’m Hal. Nice to meet you.”

 

 

 

Lisa snorted. “Nice.”

 

 

 

  
  


Hal smirked down at her before slapping the back of her head, snickering when she gasped. She retaliated with a sucker punch to the gut, a pleased grin stretching her lips when the taller man doubled over in pain. Jonas rolled his eyes at the two, taking a few steps toward the Legends away from their bickering. They instantly moved back to make a path when Jonas went to make his way across the room. He spun on his heels and, walking backwards, tilted his head toward the end of the room.

  
  


 

 

 

“Follow me.”

  
  


 

 

 

Gideon was the first one of her feet following the younger Hunter, throwing them a look over her shoulder. Martin and Jax both exchanged a few mumbled words, their heads bent down together as they walked behind Gideon. Much to Nate’s disappointment, Amaya and Ray didn’t seem to share his scepticism as they made their way to the other end of the room. With a groan, Nate pushed himself off the hall and followed the two, dragging his feet behind him. Mick didn’t move, scowling at Hal and Lisa as the two exchanged blows and kicks. As if feeling his eyes on her, Lisa looked up to meet his gaze, her grin widening. She practically skipped to him, linking their arms together and dragging him toward the others, Hal closing the march.

  
  


 

 

 

“Where the hell are we going?” Mick grumbled.

  
  


 

She squeezed his arm, chuckling. “You’ll see,” she said, her voice loud for everyone to hear.

  
  


 

“Snarts,” Jonas called back, swiping some sort of key card in front of a sensor, “They’ve got a flair for dramatics.”

  
  


  
  


 

Lisa lifted a middle-finger in response and Jonas chuckled, taking a few steps back. The Legends, gaping as a door slowly materialized out of nowhere. Jonas unlocked it with another set of keys and pushed it open, stepping out of the room and into the unknown. After a few tense minutes, his head reappeared in the doorframe.

  
  


 

  
  


“I thought you lot wanted answers. Come on now,” he gestured for them to step forward.

  
  


  
  


And so they did. Whatever they had been expected to see, that wasn’t it.

  
  


  
  


 

“Woah,” Jax said, his eyes widening.

  
  


 

“Oh my god,” Amaya breathed out, a small smile spreading on her face.

  
  


 

 

They all stood on a high platform of some kind, observing their surroundings with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Beneath their feet was an entire town. Not a literal town, but it sure looked like it. The room was as wide as an entire stadium, divided in several sectors. There were several rows of beds, installed in a sleeping area. Children were jumping on cots while others were running and playing circles around it. At the other end was a kitchen area, where people were milling around, fixing themselves a meal and discussing. A few looked up to the platform, kids waving and adults calling Jonas’ name.

 

 

It wasn’t the most surprising thing, though. It was the people and their appearances that threw them off. The different type of clothing they wore, the diverse ways they wore their hair; the different accents they had. Accents that weren’t only attached to a place but to a certain period of time.

  
  


 

 

 

“They aren’t from here,” Gideon muttered with a frown, leaning forward.

  
  


 

“No, they aren’t,” Jonas sighed before he made his way down the staircase, “they’re time refugees. Well, most of them are. Others are just trying to hide from what’s going on up there.”

  
  


 

“Time refugees?” Ray frowned.

  
  


 

“People out of place and time. They all started to appear in Los Angeles a few months ago, along with the Court.”

  
  


 

“The Court?” Jax sighed, frustrated and doubtful. “And who the hell are they supposed to be?”

  
  


 

“Who we’re resisting against.”

  
  


  
  


 

They all turned at the familiar voice. A voice that belonged to someone who had no business being here. Amaya gasped, Ray frowned, and Nate gawked at the new arrival, Jax rubbing his eyes as if he was dreaming while Martin simply blinked. She looked so familiar, but yet so foreign. Her blonde hair rested on the top of her head in a usually messy bun while a regular attire replaced her more formal suit and loose robes. The combination of the simple black tee, jeans and combat boots made her looked younger, barely older than Jax. Or perhaps it made look her actual age. Her eyes weren’t hidden behind a mask. If anything, they looked tired and the bags under them confirmed it. Still, she smiled at them, her shoulders shaking when she let out a small laugh at their reactions.

  
  


 

 

 

“Courtney.”

  
  


 

 

Jax had been the one saying the name, but Amaya was the one who rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her former teammate. Courtney returned the gesture with as much as force, her head resting on Amaya’s shoulder and her smile wide. Amaya reluctantly pulled back from the embrace, holding Courtney at arms ‘length.

  
  


 

  
  


“What are you doing here? How-” Amaya froze when noticing the healing bruises covering her arms, “What happened to you?”

  
  


 

Her smile turned into a grimace as she sighed and shook her head. “That’s a long story. As for how I’m here, I was brought here along the Court.”

  
  


 

“This still doesn’t make sense,” Jax protested, getting closer. “Which court?”

  
  


 

“I didn’t visit a lot of them,” Courtney gave a small laugh, stuffing.

  
  


 

 

The Legends exchanged confused looks while Courtney and the rest watched in amusement as cogs turned in their minds and pieces connected. Nate was the first one to figure out.

  
  


  
  


 

“You mean Camelot,” he muttered, frowning as if he hoped she would deny his words. Courtney’s smile widened, her expression almost smug. Nate groaned, his head falling backward. “You gotta be kidding me.”

  
  


 

Ray, on the other hand, looked elated. “Wait, this means I’m still a knight of the Round Table?”

  
  


 

  
  


Nate groaned again, and Courtney gave a small chuckle, giving him a small nod.

  
  


 

 

“Songs have been written about your bravery, Sir Raymond of the Palms.”

  
  


 

  
  


Ray punched the air, beaming while Nate buried his face in his hands, muttering to himself. Amaya rolled her eyes at the two, a smile playing at the corner of her lips as she turned back to face Courtney.

  
  


 

  
  


“It’s good to see you.”

  
  


 

“You too,” her gaze drifted to Jax and the rest of the Legends. “All of you.”

  
  


 

  
  


Jax smiled at that, tension lifting off his shoulders as he stared back at Courtney. He was too captivated by the blue of her eyes to notice Stein looking at the two, his brow furrowed. He snapped out of his trance when hearing a door open. All heads swivelled in its direction, Jonas going to meet the arrival, Lisa and Hal at his heels. A collective sigh of relief was heard at the sight of a familiar blonde head of their captain. Jax was the first one to rush forward.

  
  


“Thank God,” he breathed, wrapping Sara in a hug. The latter didn’t hesitate to retaliate, burying her face in the crook of his neck, “You alright?”

  
  


“I’m good,” she breathed out, pulling back to smile at him.

  
  


She squeezed his shoulder and moved to wrap Amaya in a quick hug. Jax shoved his hands into his pockets, watching as Sara kissed Amaya’s cheek, smirking in Nate’s direction. Mick guffawed and slapped Nate’s back, the latter almost falling forward. He glared at the taller man of his shoulder, rubbing his arms. Both Gideon and Stein moved forward to greet Sara, Ray standing to the blonde’s side with a small smile on his face. Blowing out a breath, Ray let his gaze drift back to where their “captors’ were standing and frowned when noticing the new arrival. The woman had light brown hair, a smile on her face and familiar blue eyes that stared adoringly at Sara. Familiarity that caused Ray's stomach to sink.

  
  


 

  
  


“Laurel?”

  
  


 

 

 

He watched as Sara's smile slowly vanish, all Legends turning to him when hearing the name, various expessions plastered on their faces. _She_ turned toward him and grinned

  
  


  
  


“Hey, Ray. Long time no seen.”

  
  


He let out a nervous laugh, his gaze darting between the two sisters. “Yeah. Hi.”

  
  


 

 

He could almost hear Rip's screams and defeated sighs.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


**Star City, 2017.**

 

 

Kendra's neck ached when she came to.

 

 

She could already feel a bruise form and winced at the mere memory of the needle forcefully jabbed into her neck. Her surroundings were dark and blurry and unfamiliar. Kendra blinked, shaking her head to get rid of the daze. She instantly regretted it, her eyes snapping close. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus. From the smell and the heat, Kendra guessed that she must be in some cave of some kind, somewhere underground. She knew she was aware of being dragged by two people, their grips around her arms tight and painful. Other bruises she'd have to worry about later. For now, she was worrying about how she'd get free. She thought about conjuring her wings for a second before deciding against it. The people who had captured her might not being aware of her “abilities.” She'd have to use it to her advantages later. Brute force it'd be, then.

 

 

She opened her eyes, her vision sharp and her mind clear. She threw her elbow back as hard could, crushing the guard's windpipe and forcig him to let go of her. Turning around, she kneeled the second guard in his guts before she took off, willing her legs to go faster. The hall seemed to be never-ending, with no where to turn. Kendra could hear them getting to their feet but she didn't turn around, keeping her pace. She reconsidered her decision of hiding her wings when she almost stumbled-

 

 

Kendra was suddenly on the cold floor, her entire body shaking with tremors as elecricity coursed through her body. She opened her mouth in a silence scream, tears falling down on her cheeks at their own accords. Kendra let out a small whimper as she caught sight of the combat boots walking toward her. She let them pick her up off the ground, her body limp. She clenched her teeth, swallowing a scream as their hold around her arms tightened.

 

 

 

 

“I wouldn't try that again if I were you, wrench,” one of them grumbled.

 

 

 

 

 _Wrench?_ Kendra frowned. She barely had the timem to ponder over the thought before she was pushed against one guard, the latter restraining her arms behind her back as the other unhooked his keys from his belt. Unlocking a large metal door, he pushed it open and rested his back against it, nodding for them to come in. Well, more like inviting his comrade to throw her in the small cell, snickering before they closed the door behind her. Groaning, Kendra slowly picked herself off the floor, into a sitting position. Leaning against the wall, she listened to their heavy steps getting further and further.

 

 

 

 

“Are you alright?”

 

 

 

 

Kendra startled, letting a small yelp at the sudden question. She stumbled for a weapon, only to come up empty. She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes as she caught sight of two figures opposing her. One of them was a man, his hair brown and his eyes a bright blue. There was a bruise forming on his cheek and though his stance seemed nonchalant, Kendra could see that the wall he was leaning on was to support his height. The concern in his eyes seemed to be genuine, as far as she could tell. The other was a woman, a bit younger. She was sitting at his feet, her legs crossed and her head tilted to the side. Her skin was almost as white as her hair and her eyes were glassy. Unlike her companion, she didn't seem to have any strength to stay upright.

 

 

 

 

“Kendra?”

 

 

 

 

She yelped, turning her attention way from the girl to find that the man had pushed himself off the wall and slowly closing the distance behind them. Noticing her widened eyes and fear, he stopped in his tracks, his hands held up as he crouched in front of her, as if she were a wild animal he didn't want to spook. 

 

 

 

 

“It is you,” he said, letting out a breathy laugh. 

 

 

“Who are you?” Kendra muttered, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat, wincing immediately after, “How do you know my name?”

 

 

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowed. “Because I know you. At least, I know a version of you.” She gaped at him, her brow furrowed. He smiled in return and stretched out a hand, “I'm Ted. Better get familiar with each other. We might be here a while.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! i'll try to get the next chapter as soon as i can! Please, don't forget to leave a comment to tell me what you thought about it. You can also follow me on tumblr, @lesbianxshuri (i'll love you forever and ever) 
> 
> until next time,   
> kadi.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading this first chapter, i hope you liked it ! if you did, please don't forget to leave a comment down below - it feeds me happiness (like cookies, but better). you can also follow me on Tumblr, @oreosmunroe (and hear me bitch about dclot's new season).
> 
> until next time, you awesome nerds !  
> kadI.


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